Lt General Dhiraj Seth appointed next Army chief, to take charge on June 30

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has been appointed as the next Chief of the Army Staff and will assume office on June 30 following the retirement of General Upendra Dwivedi. The government announced that Lt General Seth, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, will take charge in the substantive rank of General. His tenure as Army chief will continue until August 31, 2028.

Lt General Seth assumed the position of Vice Chief of the Army Staff in April 2026. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. During a military career spanning nearly four decades, he has served in a wide range of operational, strategic, capability development, and institutional roles across the Indian Army.

His command assignments have included an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir. After promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps and later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area. He subsequently led both the South Western Command and the Southern Command, becoming one of the few officers to command two operational Army Commands.

Lt General Seth has also held several key staff and strategic appointments, including Brigade Major of an Independent Armoured Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, Operations Officer with the United Nations Mission in Angola, Assistant Military Secretary at Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters South Western Command, and Director General Discipline, Ceremonial and Welfare. He also played a significant role in force planning and modernization through assignments related to capability development and acquisition.

Academically, Lt General Seth stood first in the Junior Command Course and received the Best All-Round Student Officer Medal at the Defence Services Staff College. He is an alumnus of the Higher Command Course, the National Defence College, and the Command and Staff Course in Paris. The appointment comes as the Army prepares for a leadership transition at the end of June, with Lt General Seth set to succeed General Upendra Dwivedi upon his retirement.